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This revelation of the obvious is as startling as the Lance Armstrong confession. Is this supposed to be something new? Next we need a story about someone who while in prison, finds "God". Now that would really be something.

This revelation of the obvious is as startling as the Lance Armstrong confession. Is this supposed to be something new? Next we need a story about someone who while in prison, finds "God". Now that would really be something.

perhaps....but I'm bright enough to know that his kind of music and the person behind it, is influential enough to cause damage, if a parent isn't involved in their child's life to teach them better....and many aren't, which is the point here.....why are you missing the point??

@mr - you're contradicting yourself....if this guy has no influence "over someone" then why and how can "opinions" be fortified "one way or the other"?? a persons character is obviously formed early on...the valid point Causey is making and you are pretending you don't get, is that the "others" who augment an opinion, negatively or positively, are rappers like this guy....people can be influenced and are, daily...that's the point here....

You're wrong. A person will react to someone they find repulsive or endearing by their own character. The only influence the guy has on anyone is to fortify and justify their preconceived opinions or views of their environment.

Well, when some of us advocate that Blacks focus on a 'Do for Self' model - which entails building our own institutions, rather than paying lip service to all the feel good bandages, then you ought to get behind that agenda. Otherwise, you're on the path to becoming part of those ineffective elder generations that get dismissed by the youth.

"Do for Self" and destroy the community. That's a terrible solution. Mr. Causey's right, you're wrong. "Do for self" leads to an unstable society, as witnessed by Rwanda, Columbia and Cambodia. The US is built on a trust model. Thank God for our laws, and an effective police to enforce those that break them. Throw the "do for self" law breakers in prison, where they can't harm good people who agree to thrive as a community.

Thank you (and the individuals who hit the "thumbs" buttons) for helping to demonstrate a crucial cause of the problems in this society. I 'quoted' 'Do for Self', and you applied your ABSOLUTELY uninformed understanding of it; and saw fit to try to refute a point that you didn't even properly interpret. Now, the question moves to what was the cause of your misinterpretation...Did you even bother to commit the very simple act of seeking clarity? Do you have a predisposition toward and/or against certain terms? Are you hasty in your judgment? First, you need to concede that you are wrong, because you are.

I accept your apology. You obviously like to write in vague terms, setting a trap, and then pouncing when someone has to guess at your meaning. Write clearly, then you won't run the risk of being misunderstood. Unless that was your intention all along. .

Don't blame me for your fault. There you go again - ironically demonstrating precisely what's wrong with society. I used single quotation marks, and capitalized the phrase. Did you look it up? Did you gather from the context that I was making reference to a "model" for building social "institutions" - relative to the topic of discussion, namely culture and education? Again, be mature and don't try to project your errors. A simple 'my bad' would suffice, but going on and on making excuses for why you committed the error fits right into the matter at hand.

No worries, i understand how confusing this is to you. You're introducing out of context, unexplained words like 'Do for self', and to all literate readers, that relates to the primary topic of the article, which is destitute teenage rappers glorifying crime so they can make money. But you decide it doesn't relate to the Keef, and it relates to whatever thing you want it to. And you're surprised readers are confused? You learned something new about how to communicate, so just own up to it and move on.

No worries, i understand how humiliating this is for the likes of you. You can't take responsibility for your errors in thinking, and lack of due diligence. So, you make excuses, and project blame. When you don't understand something, it's called 'seek understanding', not carry on as though you fully comprehend.

The Opinion closed: "But that's just part of the problem. In order to save our black and brown boys, we all have to be involved.

Right now, there are too many Chief Keefs tutoring our children. The Chief Keefs are winning.

Mentors can change the conversation and a child's outlook by being involved. Now that's what I like"

My response is very much within the context of the topic (unless you didn't even understand in the first place - which would naturally cause you to think it's "out of context" ....DUH). No, I'm not "surprised readers are confused". I'm pretty familiar with the type who frequent these boards. My response was stated in a direct manner to Mr. Causey.

According to Wikipedia, Chief Keef was born on 8-15-1995. Just under the legal age of 18. Probably the mentality of a 12 year old.

He belongs in jail. Period. No ifs ands or buts about it. Things are only going to go South for this kid. I am of the firm belief that criminal/deviant minds can not be rehabilitated.

He is talking the big talk of his fellow gangstas, probably not really knowing or realizing what he is talking about. He wants to be the big man of the block but he doesn't want the responsibility or punishment that goes along with it.

If he did sire a child with a middle school girl will he be responsible and support his child and be a father figure to the child? I have a funny feeling he will not. That's not the way members of the black community conduct their family business.

Take Chief Keef and put him in mandatory school. Attempt to give him a chance to educate himself, to make something of his life. His popularity in rap music will not last. His money will not last.

If he chooses not to better himself, let him sit in jail the rest of his life.

Causey, you could find much better material to grace your columns. I believe this was totally wasted space and a waste of readers time.

but Otto, the average hyper conservative, white male who posts here usually whines about how black people condone, accept and appreciate the poor examples like this kid....you do realize that Causey isn't covering for him...he's actually calling him out....why does that bother you???

Well said Mr. Causey. Too many times rappers are praised for glorifying lifestyles that result in misery and suffering for the young impressionable minds that don't understand the consequences of the behavior. Keef's a tool for the producers like sean combs, who scour the news for new young males that they can exploit. But the people who really suffer are the residents in the neighborhoods who have to try to live with these wilding males, amped up on these stupid beats and lyrics.

Thats right, they are not causing it but glorifying it. Im amazed at how stupid the "lifestyle" is. Babies mommas, purple cars with rims that spin backwards, TV's in the headrests, all while living in some of the most rancid and condemned real estate available. While most people are trying to make money to get out of these neighborhoods, thees people live in their ghetto glory.

Once these kids stop thinking being a successful armed robber or drug dealer, having a whole slew of kids you cant take care of, and putting $10,000 of customization into a $900 car is cool, things will start to get better.

This is so absurd, but illustrative of the occlusion of the forest for the trees. Chief Keef is not the exigence or instigator, the chief is the product. In a moral bankruptcy you have to address the culture where crime and child neglect are the cornerstones. All races and ethnicity are exposed to the popular culture; it is the very cultural influences that ultimately dictate the right path to follow.

In a moral bankruptcy it is popular to denigrate and deride the institutions of society. So, belittling policing, education, civility, anything conservative, life itself, these are the issues that cause breakdowns in society and give rise to the 'chief's' among us. When you take immoral stands in the castigation of law enforcement like in the case of Trayvon and Derrick, and exploit every opportunity as if it were 1950, than you define the style of victim-hood that sets you apart from the greater society.

When you challenge society to aspire to its highest ideals you have the ideology of King; when you constantly tear society down at every opportunity you have urban america post-King.

This is so absurd, but illustrative of the occlusion of the forest for the trees. Chief Keef is not the exigence or instigator, the chief is the product. In a moral bankruptcy you have to address the culture where crime and child neglect are the cornerstones. All races and ethnicity are exposed to the popular culture; it is the very cultural influences that ultimately dictate the right path to follow.

In a moral bankruptcy it is popular to denigrate and deride the institutions of society. So, belittling policing, education, civility, anything conservative, life itself, these are the issues that cause breakdowns in society and give rise to the 'chief's' among us. When you take immoral stands in the castigation of law enforcement like in the case of Trayvon and Derrick, and exploit every opportunity as if it were 1950, than you define the style of victim-hood that sets you apart from the greater society.

When you challenge society to aspire to its highest ideals you have the ideology of King; when you constantly tear society down at every opportunity you have urban america post-King.

well said James!! the mr. Iguana and tobootornot types are just sad, sorry individuals....a black person calls out one of there own...not good enough. A black person doesn't call out one of their own, not good enough....must be horrible going through life, looking at how you can complain about "what black folks do", all the while turning a blind eye to what white people do, that's equally troubling....

Until the sperm donors in Milwaukee step up and act like responsible adults, the garbage rappers will continue to be a large influence on the young males. No government program will fix this. The change has to come from within the black community. It's that simple.PS: All of the above also applies to the white sperm donors who are too lazy to raise their own children.